ATTRACTIONS EVENTS BEYOND GETTING AROUND SOUTH BEACH Eastern waterfront south of Ferry Building. This mixed-use waterfront neighborhood has plenty to observe and explore. Among the most prominent landmarks in the area is Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. Kayak tours from South Beach Harbor and a 700-slip marina encourage bay adventures. Coit Tower SOUTH OF MARKET (SOMA) South of Market St. and north of Division St. SoMa includes 2 square miles of nightclubs, fashionable restaurants, experimental theaters and galleries. Major points of interest in this area include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Moscone Center and the Children’s Creativity Museum. TELEGRAPH HILL/COIT TOWER SUNSET DISTRICT Palace of Fine Arts SAN FRANCISCO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Van Ness Ave. between Grove and McAllister streets, 415-552-8338 (tour information). The San Francisco Performing Arts Center encompasses Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, the War Memorial Opera House and the Veterans Building, and is one of the largest performing arts centers in the U.S. The War Memorial Opera House (3,126 seats) is the home of the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet, and hosts major opera, dance and performing arts groups. Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall (2,739 seats), home of the San Francisco Symphony, hosts all types of musical performances. Herbst Theatre (892 seats), on the ground floor of the War Memorial Veterans Building, is suitable for both theatrical and musical offerings. Tours available. Southwest corner of the city, south of Golden Gate Park and north of Sloat Blvd. The same vision that transformed Golden Gate Park into a green oasis influenced the transformation of the Sunset in the early 1900s. There are some serious coffeehouses to take the chill off after a stroll along Ocean Beach, and La Playa Park, a sliver of green between Kirkham and Judah streets right on the edge of the Pacific, is a good spot to relax and watch coastal swells. Northeast corner of the city, reached via Lombard St., 415-362-0808. Overlooking the bay, Telegraph Hill is a reminder of San Francisco’s history. Its name stems from earlier days, when a semaphore was used to signal the town below to the approach of ships through the Golden Gate. At the summit of Telegraph Hill is Coit Tower, built in 1933. It is the legacy of Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left a $125,000 bequest to San Francisco “for the purpose of adding beauty to the city which I have always loved.” The ground floor lobby is adorned with a series of fresco murals by some 30 local artists, depicting life in 1930s San Francisco. Guided docent tours are available. An elevator to its 210-foot-high observation platform operates daily. Because of heavy traffic, public transit is strongly recommended for access; on weekends, parking near the tower may be limited to residents only. SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE San Francisco Travel Association Opened six months before the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge has connected the city with Oakland and the East Bay since 1936. This incredible structure, one of the longest steel bridges in the world, spans 8 miles (13.3 km) across the bay via Yerba Buena Island. In 2013, a $6.4 billion construction project was completed, replacing the east span of the bridge with the world’s largest self-anchored suspension span. “The Bay Lights,” a glittering 25,000 LED-light installation, was added to commemorate the bridge’s 75th anniversary. In 2013, the western span of the bridge was named the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Bridge in honor of San Francisco’s first Black mayor. Auto toll collected westbound only. SIGMUND STERN GROVE Sloat Blvd. and 19th Ave. Music among the trees is the lure of this restful glen. During summer Sunday afternoons, this natural amphitheater, sheltered by eucalyptus, redwood and fir trees, becomes “Nature’s Music Box” and is the setting for free performances from opera to hip-hop. Concert schedule subject to change. San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
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